Corncob kindling



No. 626,308. Patented June 6, I899.

R. M. SKILES &. E. M. BOUBNE.

003N005 KINDLING.

(Application filed Feb. 26, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. SKILES AND ERNEST M. BOURNF, OF WIOTA, IOWA.

CORN'COB KINDLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 626,308, dated June 6, 1899.

Application filed February 26, 1898. Serial No. 671,853. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ROBERT M. SKILES and ERNEST M. BOURNE, citizens of the United States, residing at Wiota, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corncob Kindling; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. V

This invention relates to an improved fuel, and particularly to kindling adapted to be used in starting fires in stoves, furnaces, or similar apparatus to ignite the more substantial material employed to produce combustion; and some of the objects of the invention are to provide a simple, cheap, and effective kindling of this general character which will combine inflalnm ability with intensity of heat when ignited and which will utilize material which is now put to no use and to utilize such material at a small expense.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists, substantially, in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an end elevation of a package of our improved kindling ready for the market. Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of a corncob prepared according to our invention, showing the wrapper partially removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same with the wrapping entirely removed, and Fig. 4 is an end View of a prepared corncob.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to the construction shown in Fig. 1 thereof, the reference-numeral 1 designates a package of our improved kindling, preferably consistin g of one or more prepared corncobs disposed in the center of a package or bundle of ordinary or unprepared corncobs, and the number of ordinary or unprepared corncobs may be varied; but we have here shown a prepared corncob 2, around which are disposed three unprepared corncobs 3, the same being held together by a rubber band 4 or any other suitable device Ourimproved kindlingis preferably packed in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 for delivery to the trade; but we may pack the kindling in any other suitable manner and only illustrate this packing as an exemplification of our invention.

We prepare our improved kindlingsubstantially in the following manner; but, if desired, the ingredients may be varied and the quantity of each ingredient may be changed as found desirable in practice: An ordinary corncob 2 is provided, from which all of the grains of corn have been previously removed, and the center or pith 5 is entirely removed from the same in any preferred manner, so that the main portion of the cob is uninjured, and the inside or pith chamber of the cob is completely filled with a mixture of keroseneoil and turpentine or other inflammable material, and the ends of the pitlrchambers are then preferably sealedup with plaster-ofparis or other material to prevent evaporation, as shown at 6. After the corncob has been thus treated it is then immersed in a bath of heated resin or equivalent substance to render the exterior thereof readily combustible, as will be understood. When the corncob 2 has been prepared in the manner described, it is preferably wrapped in paper 7 or other suitable material, and the unprepared corncobs are then arranged about the prepared corncob in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 or otherwise and the cobs are then bound together in any suitable manner and are ready to be placed in crates for shipment.

. The manner of using this improved kindlingwill be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the following explanation thereof.

The kindling is placed in the fire-pot of the heating apparatus in which it is desired to start a fire, and the fuel is then placed upon the kindling, and the latter is lighted in the usual manner.

We do not desire to confine ourselves to the number or arrangement of corncobs in a package, or to the number of prepared corncobs in a package, or to the specific ingredients or substances herein mentioned, as the same may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention Having fully described our invention what we claim as new; and

ters Patent, is- I l. Animproved article of mannfacture,c0n-

sisting of a corncob having the pith entirely removed therefrom and the pith-chamber completely filled with a mixture of kerosene-oil and turpentine, and the open end of said chamber secured withplaster-of-paris, to preventevaporation of the kerosene-oil and turdesire to secure by Let-' plaster-of-paris, immersing the cob so treated into a bath of heated'resin, drying the same and wrapping it in readily-combi'lstible material. i f

' 3. An improved kindling consisting of one or more corncobs having the pithentirely removed therefrom and the pith-chamber completely filled with inflammable material, the

open end thereof sealed, the exterior being immersed in a bath of heated resin a Wrapa per of paper applied to the cob so treated, and'a plurality of plain cobs disposed about the treated cobs, and means for confining the cobs in position.

In testimony whereof we aifix our tures in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT M. SKILES.

ERNEST M. BOURNE.

signa- VVitnesses:

JOSEPH -D. CANNON,

ELMER E. CAMPBELL. 

